


The Cat Will Play

by icandrawamoth



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2018 [18]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Animal Transformation, I'm Bad At Titles, Multi, Nexu, Shapeshifting, That's Not How The Force Works, probably a bit cracky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 09:36:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13761318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: “Oh, gods," Rose groans. "Our girlfriend is stuck as a nexu.”





	The Cat Will Play

**Author's Note:**

> For February Ficlet Challenge prompt "mass-conservation shapeshifting (must shift into something of approximately the same mass)."

Rose is shoulders-deep in an X-wing engine when she hears running feet behind her and glances back to see Finn approaching. “Little busy here,” she says, nodding toward her work before he can speak.

“It's important,” he says, panting as he tries to catch his breath.

“Finn-”

“It's Rey.”

Rose yanks her arms out of the machine and whirls at the mention of their girlfriend. “What's wrong?”

“You'll never believe me if I tell you. Come on.” He grabs her hand and takes off again.

Rose's mind spins anxiously as she follows him back to the room the three of them share. What could possibly have happened? What could be so wrong with Rey that Finn can't even tell her?

“Rose.” Finn stops outside their door and turns. “I need you to stay calm, okay?”

“I'm calm,” she says, trying to tell her racing heart the same thing.

“I need you to stay calm when I open the door.”

“Okay, Finn, just do it. You're freaking me out!”

“Okay.” Finn takes a deep breath before opening the door and nudging her inside.

Rose barely hears it slide closed again as she takes in the contents of the room – and _panics_. Rey isn't here, but sitting on its haunches in the middle of the room is a kriffing _nexu_. Barely able to process the fact, Rose spins on her heal, rushing back for the door-

Only to collide with Finn's chest. “Hey, hey, it's fine,” he insists, catching her arms.

“Finn-!”

His brown eyes bore into hers. “It's Rey. I know it sounds crazy, but it's Rey. She won't hurt you.”

“Rey...?” Rose blinks, slowly turning back. The nexu is still there. More blinking, and the creature is _still_ there, seated in the middle of their room in the middle of the Resistance base. “Rey?” she repeats, even though it seems like the most foolish thing in the galaxy.

The nexu shifts, whining softly, and Rose's mouth drops open. “What the hell?” she asks emphatically.

“She was meditating,” Finn explains, as if that's any more of explanation. “I'm not sure exactly what she was doing, but she said something about nature and animals, and then...” He waves his hand.

“This is insane,” Rose breathes, cautiously taking a step closer. She holds out a hand, trembling only slightly. “Rey, is it really you?” The nexu mews quietly and leans forward to rub against her hand. “Wow.”

“Yeah, wow,” Finn says. “Only problem is, how do we get her back?”

“Get her back?” Rose repeats, turning to him with wide eyes. “You mean, she's stuck like this?”

“Well...she hasn't turned back yet.”

“Oh, gods. Our girlfriend is stuck as a nexu.”

Finn gasps then, but before Rose can ask what's wrong now, Rey's voice comes from behind her: “Actually, I'm not.”

Rose is already breathing out in relief as she turns to take in the girl she's always known. It's already as if the whole thing was a dream.

“I just wanted you to get her so she could see,” Rey explains to Finn.

“You could have changed back and told me that, then did it again.”

“Probably not. It took a _ton_ of concentration, and I could only hold it for so long. I'm beat. I don't know when I'd be able to do it again.”

“So you were actually trying to do that?” Rose asks, wide-eyed.

Rey shrugs. “I saw it in one of the books, but I never thought I'd actually be able to do it.”

Rose shakes her head slowly, a grin spreading onto her lips. “Do you have any idea how amazing you are?”

Rey grins, too, a pleased flush on her cheeks. “I would have done a fathier for you, but it has to be something with the same mass as your own body.”

“I thought you were a little smaller than the average nexu,” Rose quips, warmth in her chest to know Rey was thinking of her even in this.

“Size doesn't matter,” Finn puts in, and the girls both groan.

“Just...maybe warn us next time you try something like this, yeah?” Rose says.

“Yeah. I promise,” Rey agrees, but there's a mischievous sparkle in her eyes that tells Rose maybe she ought to take a peak at those books herself, just to get an idea of what other wild antics she might expect in the future.


End file.
